Crisis is a political crime thriller, written and directed by Nicholas Jarecki ( Arbitrage). Its three interconnected segments deal with the legal and illegal drug business. One of the narrative strands is particularly hard-hitting and compelling, pointing to the profiteering and homicidal activities of the giant pharmaceutical companies. The movie was the highest-grossing independent film at the US box office on its opening weekend and became the highest-grossing film playing in limited release. Crisis opens with the arrest of a young drug runner illegally crossing the US-Canada border south of Montreal. The episode links to Armenian drug dealers against whom Detroit-based Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover agent Jake Kelly (Armie Hammer) is running a narcotics sting operation. His target is drug lord Claude “Mother” Veroche (Guy Nadon), a major fentanyl distributor and cross-border operator.